


Christmas Snowflake

by ClaireFisher



Series: Words In Between [14]
Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas gift, F/M, Fluffy, Moms Know Better, Pineapples, Post-Episode: s03e10 Christmas Joy, Romance, Shules, snowflakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27598118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaireFisher/pseuds/ClaireFisher
Summary: Exactly one year after, Shawn was back at Juliet's door, but this time on Christmas Day and with a gift that could do so much more than charming an O'Hara girl, but actually winning her heart for good.Post-Ep 03x10: Christmas Joy
Relationships: Juliet O'Hara/Shawn Spencer
Series: Words In Between [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817497
Comments: 8
Kudos: 6





	Christmas Snowflake

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I'm back with another fanfic part of the series Words In Between, which consist of extensions of my short stories posted in my multi-chap fic All Seasons With You :)
> 
> Although this was not a request, I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! Therefore, I had to write a little (that turned out a long) piece for this episode! 
> 
> This work can be considered "part two" of my previous extension "Shawn’s Gift May Have Charmed an O’Hara Girl" written for the ep 02x09. It's not mandatory to read this "first part" but it will help to contextualize Maryanne better, and how I decided to portray her. Fingers crossed this one didn't turn out too OCC. 
> 
> Without further ado, I hope you enjoy it, and please leave a comment! I'll love to hear your opinion, suggestions, or anything else you feel like to say ;)

_ “Don’t worry, it was way before I knew you.”  _

_ “Why would that matter?” _

_ “It might.” _

_ “It doesn’t.” _

_ “It could.” _

_ “It won’t.” _

It didn’t matter. 

She wasn’t jealous. 

Not a bit.

She didn't feel a bitter liquid climbing up all the way from her stomach to her throat, setting on fire everything on the way, slowly burning inside. Nor did she feel the throbbing pain in her heart at the perspective that, if Shawn once dated Gus’ sister, the likelihood of them getting together, given the fact that the two men were inseparable, were very high, even if she believed that it was a little inappropriate. 

But, it didn’t matter.

After all, it shouldn’t matter if he dated Joy or not, it wouldn't affect her, right? 

She and Shawn didn’t have a moment, back at the station.

They didn’t pause. 

There was no pause. 

There was no spark.

She didn’t care. 

Oh, but Juliet O’Hara did.

So much so that was all she could think about. 

Shawn kissing Joy, the flame rekindling, them getting together again, and so her mind drifted from an unpleasant thought to another until, not long after, all she could see was Shawn in a tuxedo and Joy in a white dress, all the while she wept and mourned silently in her seat. 

Great!

That was the image she just needed in her head right now. 

Little did Juliet know that Shawn Spencer was the further it was possible from reattaching any old things with Joy.

Sure the psychical tension was still there, and being the daughter of Winnie Guster, and a lawyer, she couldn't be less persistent, but, each time Shawn got closer to her, the more his heart would constrict, his mind screaming loudly and painfully how much that was a mistake, a feeling of betrayal numbing his senses as all he could think about was how much he could hurt Juliet.

They weren’t involved, of course, and Jules was more than clear, on many occasions, that she had no interest in engaging any type of relationship with him that crossed the barrier of friendship, still, she was the other best friend, besides Gus, he had and the only woman Shawn felt the need to impress and to fight for so hard. And even if she denied his invitations every single time or ignored his attempts at setting them up, rearranging events and schedules so they could be alone, even for a few minutes, there were still those moments, so precious, so perfectly crafted and stored in his mind, were Juliet would blush at one of his compliments, or cave at his wishes, letting him hold her close, allowing him to grab her hand and to comfort her in any way he could. 

The memory of their almost kiss enough to set his body to a full stop. 

He could only imagine what the actual contact of her lips in his would cause him. 

But, again, it was only another “what if” pilling up in the monstrous box inside his head labeled “opportunities with Jules”. And although Shawn knew that, maybe it was better to keep filling this painful box than getting just slightly closer to mess up things with Juliet, the pain wasn’t more bearable. 

This night though, after all the arrest and processing paperwork, his somehow heartfelt conversation with a messed up dad, his attempt at tying ends and patching up relationships, all the while he tried to conceal his shock as that little girl hugged him so tightly, making him wonder about the fatherhood territory, something he never does, all Shawn could think about was Juliet and their previous conversation. 

The way she stared at him, a little confused, slightly pained eyes, inquiring expression. He wanted to make Jules sure that whatever happened between him and Joy was over. She needed to know.

Had to know.

And as he left the crime scene and the blond detective behind, his mind started to assemble a plan. 

He had to do something.

Anything to prove to Jules just how much he cared and, perhaps, managing to show her that the past wouldn’t change what they had now.

Sure, he would have to survive the Guster’s brunch the next day, apologize with Gus, straight his boundaries with Joy and go to his dad’s house for their awaited gift exchange, him already sure of what to expect inside the wrapped box.

But he was determined to make that Christmas day another memorable one. 

And as Shawn ran away from his childhood home, after lunch, to set everything up, Juliet made her way inside her small house, drenched and tired, but, most of all, extremely moody. Not only because she had only two hours of sleep or because she had to work on Christmas day, neither because of Carlton and his dark cloud hovering above them both.

Nop.

All that bitterness was a result of her mind processing the image of a Joy Spencer for the last few hours. 

And now all the cheering in her heart, all the excitement of having her family in town until the New Year’s, was gone, and Juliet wanted nothing more than to go straight to bed and bury her face in her pillow until she fell asleep, waking up only when all that was over.

So much so for a wonderful Christmas.

But, to her surprise, as the Junior Detective crossed her front door, she found her house quiet and empty. Eyebrows raised, she started to scan around, her Detective mode never fully off, already looking for the wrongs and misplaced things. 

“Mom?”

“In here!”

Breathing more relieved, Juliet made her way inside, closing the door behind and heading to where the sound came, finding her mom standing in the middle of the kitchen, her checkered apron firmly tightened around her waist, concealing part of the green kilt Maryanne was wearing.

“Mom, where’s everyone?”

The older O’Hara turned to face her daughter, already noticing something different in her expression, the twinkling blue eyes somehow less bright, almost gloomy, which put the woman on alert right away.

Something was wrong with her baby girl and Maryanne would make sure to know what it was and fix it

It didn’t matter if Juliet was 27 years old.

“Oh! Since you had to leave we decided to postpone celebrations until you’re here. We hadn’t much else to do so Granny decided she wanted to see the decorated houses by the shore.”

“She knows it’s nothing like New York, right?”

“And you know Pearl, right? There is no saying otherwise with her. So Finn just took her and the kids to go for a walk. Said it would take a while, the boys wanted to stop for ice cream first. When they come back we can have dinner, okay?.”

Juliet nodded her mind only partially there. 

Maryanne, taking the silence as her cue to approach the change in her daughter's spirits, stepped closer to her, hand resting on her baby’s shoulder, dragging her attention back at her.

“What’s wrong, Julie Bean?”

Eyes a little widened, Juliet wanted nothing more than to avoid that conversation, especially the “Shawn topic”. Since last Christmas, he was all her mom asked about when she called, and Maryanne O’Hara was completely charmed by the psychic, making her wonder sometimes if it wasn’t her mom falling in love with him.

Not that she was falling in love with Shawn.

No way.

Not a chance!

But… back to her mom….

She had to bring up a distraction. 

“Have you heard from Ewan?”

“Not since his last letter in October.”

A flash of pain crossed her mother’s eyes and Juliet knew how much it hurt her mom not having her son there, to celebrate with them, to not have news from him, always wondering if he was still well and safe. 

“I wish we could call him! I mean, I’m a Detective, I should be allowed.”

“Oh, honey. You know how this works. While on a mission he can’t call.”

“I miss him so much.”

“Me too Julie Bean.” 

Both women nodded sadly at each other, hands tied regarding that situation. Juliet prepared to step away, maybe head to her bedroom and take a nap until dinner, but her mother’s grip on her shoulder held her in place.

“Now, Juliet, tell me what’s really going on.”

She didn’t know why she was surprised. 

Maryanne O’Hara never missed a detail. 

A gift Juliet was happy to have passed to her as it was extremely useful for a Detective but very annoying when you can’t hide anything from your mother.

“Mom… I….”

“This is about Shawn, isn’t it?”

“What? No!” 

There was no makeup enough to conceal the blush coloring Juliet’s cheeks and there, under the meticulous stare of her mom and submitted to that assumption, she felt like a teenager again, fighting the urge to play with her fingers and to reach for her gun.

“Sure. It isn’t.”

Stepping away, Maryanne took the time to analyze her daughter’s face, finding in it a real surprise as she was sure Juliet didn't expect her to back away. But she did. 

Because that situation, Shawn, was too much of a delicate thing to rush or put pressure on.

Because the first time Juliet talked about the boy Maryanne knew this one was different. 

This time it was different.

So she wouldn’t push it.

Juliet watched her mom head back to the kitchen, dropping the subject, to her relief. But, her mind was still racing, her heart still aching and the young blond needed reassurance, anything, to tell her that all would work out. Even for one night, she wanted to be deluded into believing that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance where she wouldn’t end up heartbroken and watching Shawn marrying someone else.

“Mom?”

Maryanne stopped, turning to face the figure of her daughter, cringed, so much like her nine years old self, thumbs rolling around each other as she faced her sheepishly. 

“Yes, honey?”

“Do you...Do you think that the past can’t mean anymore once you meet someone new? That whatever happened loses importance and that, even if the past comes back, there’s no chance you’ll turn back to it because the new is more… Appealing? Special?”

Smiling, Maryanne stepped back to where her daughter was, this time resting one hand at her cheek obligating her daughter to hold her eyes at her level, finding in those blue irises such doubts and fear, the older O’Hara was at a loss for a second.

But she knew the perks of heartache, had sustained a good few during her life and, gladly, learned how to heal from them, how to solve it all.

“Julie, I know this one thing. When you meet the right person, everything is new. The past may be the answers for who they are now but, what happened there, whoever they had previously, lose importance.”

“And how will I know… I…”

“Juliet. Sometimes love can be scary and a lot of doubts may cross your mind. Is he the one? Will it last? Will I break my heart? Well, sure, it’s ideal that when you decide to engage in a relationship with someone those questions must be answered but, you need to be open to it. You’ll never know if you don't take the chance. But, quite honestly baby girl, I think you just don’t wanna see what’s right in front of your eyes.” 

Juliet kept staring at her mom, letting her words sink in. 

Could all that be true?

She wasn’t sure if that answer was relieving enough but for now, was what she got.

Maryanne, with a small smile adorning her lips, kissed her baby’s forehead, stepping away after to leave Juliet alone, allowing her some time to think things through, perhaps look at her situation from a different perspective. 

“Well, I’ll go run down the store and try to find some more peppermint candy to finish the cupcakes. Wanna join?”

Still a bit dazed, Juliet, shook her head, only a few seconds later aware of what her mom had said and asked.

“I…. I think I’ll just stick around, get some rest. It has been a crazy night.”

“Sure, whatever you prefer honey. Do you need something from there?”

“No, I think I’m good.”

Maryanne tuned, detaching her apron, she grabbed her purse sitting at the couch, already heading to the front door. 

“Mom! Actually…. Could you bring me a pineapple?”

“On Christmas?”

The raised eyebrow of Maryanne just caused Juliet to shrug slightly before she nodded. 

“I just felt like … like eating one.”

“Okay. One pineapple coming your way”

Thankfully, Juliet watched her mom disappear through the door, leaving her alone with her thoughts and questions. 

Images from that night and previous ones started to pop in her head, memories of the moments she had shared with Shawn in those last few months. 

So much had happened and changed, and what was a simple banter, inoffensive flirting took a deeper edge, obliging Shawn and her to visit stored feelings neither parts desired to, in the fear of awakening something so strong and powerful they could never trap back inside nor control. 

And as she stood in her living room, mind anywhere but there, lost in time, Juliet almost missed the sound of her doorbell echoing through the house, only acknowledging it once the pressing started to be more erratic and less sparse. 

Composing herself, as if caught in a daydream she shouldn’t be having, Juliet walked towards the door, not sure of who she should be expecting on Christmas day, besides her family, of course. But they weren’t due to be there at least until 7 P.M. and they never knock, just barge in really.

To her surprise, contentment, and nervousness, Shawn Spencer stood by her porch, bluish-green eyes twinkling, hands shoved in his front pocket, his lopsided grin already weakening her legs. 

So much for not being affected by him. 

Great job, O’Hara!

Silence hovered above them for a bit before Juliet regained the power of forming concise words. 

“Shawn? What ar-”

“Hi, Jules!”

Her quizzical eyes inspected him briefly, trying to make sense of his presence at her doorstep, all the while she wondered how much power over her and her mind he possesses since, not seconds ago, he was the one jumping around her mind.

Not that she was displeased in seeing him though.

If Juliet was completely honest, Shawn was the one she needed to meet with, even if her heart and mind were still in a battle over who was right and in what she should act on. Too guarded to be hurt by him, or at least, the idea of Shawn being with someone else, but loose enough to delude in the idea that Joy was past history and how he assured that, regarding what Gus’ sister might want now, there was no way he was following through it.

Sure, the psychical attraction might still be there, but again, so was the guilt.

Sheepishly, Shawn stuffed one of his hands in his jacket’s pocket, grinning discreetly, as if he was still forming his words before Juliet took the lead of the conversation once more, hand still on the knob, her body pressed against the door frame. 

“So…" 

"Your family is here for Christmas!”

“Yes… But you already knew that.”

“Right. Yeah, I-I knew that.”

“Why are you really here, Shawn?”

He sighed, hands passing through his thick brown hair as he seemed to organize his thoughts, dwelling if he should say it or not.

“I just wanted to make sure that you know that… When it comes to me and Joy I-”

“No. Shawn, stop. Look, it doesn’t matter, I told you. An-”

“That’s the thing, Jules. It does matter. Because I promise you that nothing is going on between us anymore. Sure, we kissed, but that was it.”

Although she didn’t want to, she scrunched up her nose, masking the pang in her heart, when Shawn mentioned that he had kissed Joy, but the sincerity in his eyes caused his confession to be more heartwarming than heartbreaking.

“Shawn. It’s fine. You don’t have to apologize to me. We’re not involved. You’re…. You’re my friend.”

Now was his time to feel the stab in his heart, that invisible wall rebuild between them once more, Juliet making sure to point it out to him. And he sure was okay with being friends with her, if that was what it took to spend a second at last beside her, but that didn’t mean it hurt less or that he didn’t want more. 

“Aren’t you?”

Her big blue eyes, expectant, stared at him and Shawn was on the verge of losing it, ready to throw caution or whatever to the wind and close the distance between them, to tell through kisses and words that he wanted so much more than just casual friendship, that his heart burned with an unnamed feeling that was as comforting and lively as it was terrifying and new.

But, held back by the shrewish knowledge that he couldn’t afford to joke around, to take chances, to hurt Juliet, Shawn stopped himself, instead, he decided to delight himself in admiring her petite figure, standing by her door, glowing, the crowning glory to all Christmas cheering, contenting himself in having her in his life, it doesn't matter in which position it was.

“Yes, yes I am, Jules.”

She nodded, sucking in a breath as she saw the way Shawn was staring at her, so deep, pure, she felt, once more, incapable of accomplishing the basic functions her body was supposed to, already lost on the count of how many beats her heart had skipped during those brief minutes of interaction. 

Desperate to dissipate some of the awkwardness, Juliet did the only thing she knew, forgetting completely that she was alone in her home.

“Do you wanna come in? I’m sure I have some cookies or something.”

What a tempting offer, one that Shawn was so prone to accept that he almost stepped inside without saying anything else but, aware that, if he entered he might cross a line neither were ready to deal with or at least he wasn't, he smiled at her, nodding his head, trying to ignore the pain flashing through her beautiful blue orbits as he denied her invitation.

“I’m so sorry Jules, but I have to go. My dad is expecting me tonight. I just came by to...To wish you a Merry Christmas.”

He wouldn’t confess that he was there to tell her, once more, that he had no intention, not ever, to get back together with Joy or anything in that subject.

“Merry Christmas, Shawn.”

Smiling, he turned to make his way down her few front steps, before he stopped, climbing it back to stand at her door.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” - With his hand back in his jacket’s pocket, Shawn fished a small red envelope, which he handed to Juliet.

“What is this?”

Her bright smile lit up the entire street, as her fingers started to pick at the seal.

“This is for you mom. I promised her another one for this year. I hope she likes it.”

It was as if someone had cut the only hope suspending her in the air, Juliet’s expression changing almost immediately, hardening, as she tried in vain to conceal her disappointment. 

Before she could say something else or even slam her door at his face for his lack of sensibility, Shawn was gone, leaving a stupefied Juliet behind, who huffed a few good seconds, before she allowed her sadness to seep her bones and mind, shoulders down as she closed her front door, eyes still glued on the small package, which seemed to be mocking at her dumb expectations.

A few seconds after her doorbell rang, again, bringing her back outside, this time irritated and ready to dismiss anyone, it didn’t matter who it was.

Instead of a person, she found a box, involved by a red wrapping paper with Christmas trees and pineapples printed on it, small holes poked on each side of the carton container. A big golden bow finishing it up and from which dangled a small tag.

_ From what I see, the future looks a lot brighter than the past ever could! Merry Christmas, Jules _

_ PS: I know how much you missed one of those to cuddle with (although I should state that I’m just as soft)  _

As Juliet lifted the lid of the bright box her heart stopped, eyes tearing up at the sight in front of her.

So tiny it fitted her palm, a fury, all white, kitten was curled asleep inside a Christmas themed bed, clearly too big for it. Peacefully, the small animal rested unaware of its surroundings, causing her to wonder how Shawn managed to calm the cat to a point of such immobility.

Delicately, she picked the kitten, lifting it to cradle in her arms. Immediately, bright blue eyes met hers, small meows escaping from its mouth until the cat felt nestled enough to start purring softly, its little head caressing against the bare skin of Juliet’s elbow, causing it to tickle slightly.

There she caught sight of the pink collar around the animal’s neck. From it, it dangled a small charm, shaped into a snowflake, whose middle had the word “Snowflake” engraved.

Her name was Snowflake.

Her new kitten.

Still admiring her Christmas gift, Juliet remained standing at her front door, caught in the haze of emotions bubbling, arm-wrestling for a space on her swelled heart. 

Only Shawn could do that.

And at the acknowledgment of that fact she grinned like a dumb teenager after her first date, happiness engulfing her from head to toe.

For the first time, she believed in what Shawn said earlier and about the "past is past". 

He told her so, but now she knew that Joy Guster would always be part of his life, but it would only be that. 

The words written on her card glowed in front of her unfocused vision.

_ The future looks a lot brighter than the past ever could.  _

Was she his future?

Juliet couldn't know, at least didn’t want to put all her faith in that, still a bit afraid of breaking her heart if she did, still divided by what she heard and saw of Shawn and what she knew about him. 

Should she take that risk?

Now her mother’s words echoed in her mind.

_ You’ll never know if you don't take the chance. But, quite honestly baby girl, I think you just don’t wanna see what’s right in front of your eyes. _

Snowflake raised her head from its position at Juliet’s arm, facing her, big round eyes staring at her almost expectantly, as the kitten waited for her answer. 

A flash of memories crossed her mind, about the year she just had, about how much closer she and Shawn had grown, the way his grin never ceased to unbalance her, the way he cared and fought for what he believed was right and fair, that night only being another proof of that.

The way she couldn’t stop smiling, eyes twinkling under the lamppost illuminating the night, at the gentleness he had with the little girl, who very easily deceived him, and how her mind involuntarily and automatically pictured Shawn being deceived the same way by his daughter who, surprisingly, was very blond and the owner of a pair of blue eyes Juliet saw every morning reflected in her mirror while she was getting dressed for work. 

Juliet got to see more of the man underneath, the Shawn almost no one knew it existed, that incited such curiosity on her that Juliet often caught herself waken in the middle of the night, just wondering how much of Shawn was only a scratch on the surface and how much deep she had dive inside, how much she had unrevealed. 

Perhaps it was time to take that chance, after all.

From her spot behind the kitchen counter, which she hid once she noticed Shawn standing at the front door, Maryanne O’Hara smiled proudly. Sipping her mug of coffee silently, she would wait a little longer before announcing her presence, back from the grocery store, to her obvious daughter, who couldn't make that split face smile to go away, while she kissed and caressed the kitten in her arms. 

Sometimes her so bright and clever daughter could be extremely dumb. 

Maryanne knew that it was only a matter of time and not a matter of finding the right one, for Juliet to realize what was, indeed, under her nose, and although the waiting was excruciating, she couldn’t help but dwell on the fact that Shawn really didn’t give up. That she had to give him credit for.

Sure, the older O’Hara didn’t know all the details, but her daughter’s curiosity and observance didn’t come from anywhere, plus, years of experience taught her a few tricks here and there.

Like all pretty things, the richest ones, aren’t supposed to come easy, to grow from a day to another. 

So, she would wait, patiently sipping her coffee, ready for the day Juliet would call her announcing that she and Shawn were together, the life-changing day where she would be able to say all the pilling up things in her heart for the obvious kids, a few threats put in the middle just for good measure, but mostly her happiness expressed in love and advice to the couple in the progression of taking the lifelong path and the lane to the praised and desired happy ending.

But while she didn’t have all those things, Maryanne O’Hara would make sure to practice her surprised face for the moment Juliet handed her the ornament, which she would put beside the one given the previous Christmas, she saw Shawn handing to her daughter and the meowing white kitten in her arms.

Staring briefly at the freshly purchased pineapple sitting on the counter, Maryanne smiled, wisely, sure that, even though neither parts acknowledged it yet, love was written in their every move, glance, and smile. 

Next year she would make sure to hang a mistletoe by the front door, though. 

She may be paciente but a little push never hurt anyone. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Oh, since the show never mentioned Juliet's older brother's name, I decided to stick with the one I used in my other work "Six People in Between" ;)


End file.
